No matter how much I used to enjoy Castle, after all the news and rumours surrounding the departure of Stana Katic, I am actually relieved that ABC has finally decided to cancel the show.

There is this conversation I had with selenak a while ago, about series being continued well past their natural expiration date, that ideal, non-realized stopping point at which plotlines could have come to a satisfying conclusion and the characters full-circle. With Castle, that point would have been reached at the end of season 7 by latest, I guess, with Beckett’s impending promotion and a lot of personal growth for both her and Castle himself. It was back then, when both Cavendish and I decided to quit and let these two characters ride off into an imagined sunset, so we would be able to remember them fondly.

And this is exactly what I will do now.

Salute a show that I followed for over one hundred fifty episodes. Here’s to cast and crew, to the fun-to-watch character dynamics. To a plethora of criminal cases ranging from serious, over bizarre, to simply hilarious.

One of the things I liked best was how shamelessly self-indulgent Castle played with the boundaries of its genre. As audience you never knew what you would get. Thriller, film noir, romantic comedy, western, mystery, sometimes even sci-fi. Also bona fide B-Team action adventures with Detectives Ryan and Esposito. Almost as if the show wanted to acknowledge its own fannishness by being playful.

One of my fanfic stories, a little Once upon a Time/Castle crossover would never have worked, if Beckett, in addition to being simply gorgeous, competent and smart, hadn’t also been such a huge, canon-confirmed fangirl. I had so much fun writing her from Hook’s point of view.

Thank you, Castle, for being such an occasionally weird and goofy fun ride. You were one hell of a show.

Kate Beckett, back in the Enchanted Forest, you would have been royal.